Ukraine ranked 15th in Global Militarization Index, with Israel on top

Ukraine moved up from rank 23 to rank 15 in Global Militarization Index 2016.

Censor.NET reports citing the list compiled by the Bonn International Center for Conversion (BICC).

"Following the annexation of Crimea by Russia in particular and the continuing conflict in eastern Ukraine, the security situation in Europe has changed. With Armenia, Russia, Cyprus, Greece and Azerbaijan, five European countries are amongst the top 10 worldwide," the report reads.

According to BICC, while eastern European states in particular have shown a marked increase in militarization for 2015, a similar trend cannot be observed for most western European countries.

Israel is still at the top, mostly due to a great number of servicemen among the country's population. Russia is ranked 5th in the list.

The Global Militarization Index 2016 presents on an annual basis the relative weight and importance of a country's military apparatus in relation to its society as a whole. It covers 152 states and is based on the latest available figures.

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